Process of drying varnished surfaces.



APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1911.

Patented Apr. 16,1918.

KMQZONO Witness es combination of apparatus therefor.

GEORGE w.- PRIEST, or NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PRIEST, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Processes of DryingVarnished Surfaces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the process of andapparatus-for manufacturing so-called patent leather. Heretofore it hasbeen customary in manufacturing patent leather to coat the leather witha varnish made generally of linseed oil and some Chinese glue boiled tothe desired consistency. After the varnish has been applied the leatheris placed in a drying room or oven, so called, and left from ten toeighteen hours at a temperature varying from 140 to 170 Fahrenheit. Itis then removed from the oven. The varnish at this stage is tacky to thetouch and must be ex posed to a drying operation in the sunlight. Suchdrying operation requires the action of the direct rays of the sun andcannot be car.- ried on in dull weather or at night. It usually requiresan exposure of from eight to ten hours. It is found .in practice thatthe so-called drying process is better accomplished in cold, clearweather than in hot summer Weather. The humidity of the air interfereswith the quickness of the process. From this it would appear that theultraviolet rays play a very important part in the operation.

Having these facts in mind, I have made use of artificial sources ofultra-violet rays and particularly the so-called quartz lamp whichusually consists of a quartz container.

within which are electrodes separated by a vapor path through which theelectric current is passed. Such lamps are very efiicient producers ofultra-violet rays, and thus are peculiarly adapted to the purposes of myinvention. It is highly essential that the container shall be of quartzas the rays desired for my pur oses would be cut ofi by an intervening gass.

My invention, therefore, ma be said to consist essentially, in the use 0an artificial source of ultra-violet rays for afiecting the varnishedsurface of'the leather, and in the practice I have found that anexposure of PROCESS DRYING- VARNISHED SURFACES.

Specification of Letterslate'nt. Patented Apr, 16, 1918,, Applicationfiled June 10, 1911; Serial No. 632,346. I

the varnished surfaces to the "artificial ultraviolet rays produced byquartz lamps, accomplishes in two to six hours fully as great a resultin the obtained by a full day in the usual manner, that is to say, byexposure to the sunlight. Moreover, by my invention, it is possible tomanufacture patent leather at all times of day regardless of theweather.

In some instances it may be desirable to use an atmosphere of ozonecoincident with the treatment by the ultraviolet rays as drying processas is the ozone appears to have some oxidizing effect. Usually, however,the use of ultra violet rays alone is suflicient and produces the bestresults.

In the accompanying drawings, I have pose of better insuring that allportions of the varnished surfaces shall receive anequal amount oftreatment. At the same time that the treatment is proceedin a current ofair maybe driven through t e oven or room containin the revolving cage,as indicated by the b ower, 40, having an outlet pipe, 42, leading tothe cage, and supplied by a pipe,4c4, leading from tank, 43. Heat: theprocess either may be applied durln the skins by heating the air deivered through the pipe, 42, or by heating coils, 30, arranged wlthinthe drying room.

In some instances if it is desired to expose the skins to the action ofozone at the same time, then an ozonizer, 12, may be employed and soarrangd thatits products will be liberated within the drying room.

It will be apparent that various different ways may be adopted forexposing the skins to the action ofgthe artificially producedultra-violet rays, and that above described is only typical.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of finishing patent leather required chemical changeswithin -which consists in directing artificial light nch in ultra-violetrays against the varent leather, t emethod of oxidizing the varnishedsurface which consists in exposthe same to the action of a heated ingandto light rich in ultra-violet atmosphere rays.

3. The process of drying, ing patent-leather varnish in exposing thevarnished surface to the di rect action of ultra violet rays of light ina drying room and charging the atmosphere of the drying room with ozonein excess of setting and fixwhichconsists that which is incidentallygenerated by the presence of the ultra violet rays of light.

4. The process of drying, ing patent-leather varnis' h whi'ch' consistsin subjecting it in 'a losed unventilated chamber to the action of ultraviolet rays of light in the presence of ozone in excess of that which isincidental to thepresence 25 of the ultra violet rays of light.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE w. PRIEST;

Witnesses: B. J. NoYEs, H. B. DAvIs.

setting and fix- 20

